


Keep You Safe

by twisting_vine_x



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cuddling, Eren is seventeen, Feelings, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Manga, Manga Spoilers, Romance, Tears, manga-verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 03:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1924710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twisting_vine_x/pseuds/twisting_vine_x
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A/N: Set post-chapter 58 (i.e. major manga spoilers). Additional characters listed in the notes.</p>
<p>Summary: <i>Instead, he presses his face into Eren’s hair and holds on tighter, rubbing a hand up and down Eren’s back. If what Eren needs is to stand here until the sun comes up, then Levi’s pretty sure he can do that. Stands there and holds on to Eren, feeling Eren soak his shoulder with his tears, until Eren’s gone quiet, again, and all the tension seems to have seeped out of his body; and it’s only then that Levi steps back, swallowing as Eren stares at him with eyes so wide it makes Levi’s stomach hurt.</i></p>
<p>Or, some more post-chapter 58 headcanon fix-it fic, in an attempt to soothe some of the pain. (Note: written before chapter 59 was published, so canon compliant only up until the end of chapter 58; but I figured I might as well post it, anyway).</p>
<p>(Now with a gorgeous <a href="https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11468105/1/Keep-You-Safe">French translation</a> by alonia. Thank you so much. <3)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep You Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Additional characters: Hanje, Mikasa, Armin, Historia, Sasha
> 
> (Also, my rationale for Eren's age can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/mplnbza).

They get them back.

Levi somehow keeps his hands to himself. Sits through the entire debrief with Eren and Historia. Doesn’t launch himself across the table and right into Eren’s lap. Wants to wrap his arms around the brave little shit and never let him go again. Writes down every detail that Eren and Historia can remember, while Hanje looks Historia over for injuries, before Sasha wraps a blanket around Historia and leads her out of the room. Eren, of course, doesn’t have a scratch on him – but that doesn’t mean he’s not hurting. He’s been chained up like an animal for weeks. It takes everything Levi has to let him walk out of the room, the door staying open long enough for Levi to see the way Mikasa and Armin wrap their arms around Eren and lead him down the hall.

“You’re becoming increasingly obvious, you know.”

“Piss off.”

Hanje’s only response is a shrug, their eyes fixed on Levi’s notes; and Levi just stops himself from baring his teeth as he stands up, his knees a bit weak underneath him. He’s going to blame the fact that he’s still healing from the hell that Kenny and the rest of those bastards put him through. It’s got certainly nothing to do with the way he feels absolutely fucking sick with relief.

“That boy looks at you like you hung the moon. You should talk to –”

“He’s a _teenager -_ ”

“He's seventeen."

"That's exactly my -"

"And you know damn well that you'd treat him like gold.”

“ _Hanje_ –”

“Stow the crap, Levi. Life’s too short. At least make sure he’s alright.”

“I was _going_ to. Fuck. You are so –”

“If I’m annoying, then I don’t even know what that makes you.”

Hanje’s still not looking at him, and Levi leaves the room in lieu of punching them in the face. Heads for his own quarters – there’s no way he’s going to try to pull Eren away from Mikasa and Armin – and closes the door, but – his hands are shaking. Actually shaking, and – it’s not just his hands. It’s his entire body. And his chest is tight and he can’t breathe and he’s – he closes his eyes and leans against the door and feels sick. He had no right to feel this way. Fuck, he shouldn’t be feeling anything about the kid at _all_. And certainly not this. Remembers the way Eren had teared up upon seeing him – had clung to Levi when Levi had pulled Eren out of that coffin – and only realizes how tightly his hands are fisted when his nails start cutting into his palms.

\- - -

Levi doesn’t sleep.

He knows that the squad members are all curled up in their shared rooms together, and that Eren is safe, for the first time in weeks, but – it doesn’t help. Doesn’t help that Mikasa’s probably not even sleeping. Probably standing guard over Eren and Armin like a protective mother bear. All Levi can think of is Eren’s haunted eyes while he’d gone over everything that had happened. And by the time Levi’s torch has almost burned down and he’s still awake and staring at the ceiling, he finds himself slipping on his sandals and padding down the hallways to where everyone is sleeping. Hates himself for peering into a room of sleeping teenagers like some lecherous old pervert –

But Eren’s not there, and Levi deliberately concentrates on taking a deep breath. Armin’s curled up in Eren’s bed, and Mikasa’s asleep on the floor, sitting slumped against the bed with her head against the mattress, and – Levi needs to find Eren, but Mikasa can’t be comfortable like that. Barely makes it a few steps before she jerks awake, reaching for one of the many knives she probably has stashed on her – only to go still upon seeing him, before her eyes jerk to where Armin’s alone on the mattress. She’s already up on her feet by the time Levi puts up a hand, having a moment of gratitude – not for the first time – that Eren has this woman watching out for him.

“Let me find him.”

He keeps it to a whisper – the only other bed in the room belongs to Sasha, and he has no desire to wake up her or Armin – and watches, in the mostly dark, as Mikasa stares at him. Stares like she can see straight through him, and seems to think it over, judging by the way her lips press into a thin line – before she sits down on the bed beside Armin, putting a hand on his shoulder. Levi knows it’s going to be a long time before Armin comes to terms with what he had to do to keep Jean alive.

“You figured out how to save him.”

“Of course I did.”

As if there had even been any other option. Levi knows damn well that the rest of the squad would have joined him in tearing apart the entire city until Eren and Historia had been found. Watches as Mikasa watches him for a moment longer, before she nods, and – it’s permission of some sort, maybe; and Levi should probably be rankled by that, but Mikasa and Armin had been there long before him. Nods back, before he turns and leaves, knowing that Eren can’t have gone far. They’re in one of Erwin’s few remaining safe houses, and there are only so many places Eren could possibly hide.

\- - -

It turns out that Eren’s easy to find. He’s sitting at one of the kitchen windows, the moonlight streaming in, making it just light enough for Levi to see the tear tracks on Eren’s cheeks; and even in that dim light, Levi’s pretty sure that Eren blushes as he jumps to his feet, wiping his sleeve across his face and straightening his back, and – Levi might just be in love with this stupid kid.

“S-sir. Sorry. I know I should be sleeping, I just –”

“You’re never allowed to do that to us again.”

Even to his own ears, his voice sounds like it’s been put through a meat grinder. And Eren – looks confused, and exhausted, and scared; and Levi takes a deep breath and moves a bit closer.

“Getting kidnapped, I mean. Mighty fucking insensitive of you to scare me like that.”

For a moment, Eren blinks at him – and then his lips turn up, a strangled laugh leaving him even as a new mess of tears spills down his cheeks, his arm coming back up to scrub away at his face – and maybe it’s the late hour. Maybe it’s the way Eren doesn’t seem to know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe it that the last few weeks had made Levi feel like a part of him had been ripped out. Whatever the case, Levi wraps his arms around Eren and closes his eyes, and Eren clings back so hard he’s going to add bruises to the mess of dark blotches and scrapes all over Levi’s body, and – Eren’s face is shoved into his shoulder, and his fingers are digging into Levi’s back; and Levi’s throat is itching and his heart is slamming and he’s definitely in love with this kid. It’s something he’s going to have to worry about later. Right now, he needs to get Eren back into bed.

“Come on, kid. Back to bed with you.”

“Don’t w-want to.”

He sounds like he’s a couple of seconds away from begging, and Levi tightens his grip, and – Eren’s probably going to be reeling, later, from all the liberties that are being taken right now; and Levi knows damn well better than to let himself get this close – but right now, he doesn’t care. Not if it means he can have Eren in his arms like this, his breath soft against his neck, and – Levi should be running. He’s thirty-four and he’s never felt like this. He should be pulling the hell away from Eren and finding someone random to fuck, and he shouldn’t be letting this happen.

Instead, he presses his face into Eren’s hair and holds on tighter, rubbing a hand up and down Eren’s back. If what Eren needs is to stand here until the sun comes up, then Levi’s pretty sure he can do that. Stands there and holds on to Eren, feeling Eren soak his shoulder with his tears, until Eren’s gone quiet, again, and all the tension seems to have seeped out of his body; and it’s only then that Levi steps back, swallowing as Eren stares at him with eyes so wide it makes Levi’s stomach hurt. Only realizes he’s wiped a thumb across Eren’s damp cheek when Eren sucks in a breath and goes still – and Levi’s hot all over, suddenly. His legs feel like lead. And Eren’s eyes have blown even wide, his mouth open and his skin flushed and Levi needs to _step back_ –

He doesn’t move. He’s going to give himself away – going to ruin this – but he can’t seem to –move. He needs to – nearly falls over when Eren’s hand fumbles for his, a thumb sliding along his racing pulse, and – this is insane. This is – Levi’s heart is going to break through his ribs, and – Eren seems to be fighting for words. Looks confused, and scared, and – but his thumb is still resting on Levi’s pulse, his eyes wide like he can’t believe he’s getting away with this; and maybe Levi has misjudged this. Maybe this isn’t one-sided. Maybe – but Levi _can’t_ do this, he –

“C-captain.”

It sounds like Eren’s falling apart, and Levi shakes his head. Yanks himself back. Puts space in between them. Braces his feet against the floor and watches as Eren stands there and gapes at him, his hands hanging down at his sides and his eyes wide and his face still streaked with tears.

“You should get back.”

His voice damn near wavers. And Eren – there’s a flash of that determination that Levi so loves, that’s gotten Eren through everything – that stubbornness that lies right under Eren’s skin, and – it’s not going to work in Levi’s favour now, apparently, because Eren’s taking a step closer, still watching Levi like he’s expecting Levi to bite, and – his cheeks are flushed, and he’s far too close.

“Y-you –”

“Enough, Eren.”

“But –”

“I said that’s –”

“But if you – if you – even if you just want to – to sleep with –”

_“Eren –”_

“Then just _say something_. Please. Because you’re – I – I’d w-want you, t-too. If y-you w-wanted to –”

“You’re _seventeen_.”

It’s completely the wrong thing to say. He _knows_ it’s the wrong thing to say. And Eren’s gaping at him like Levi’s turned his entire world outside down, and – maybe he has. Maybe Levi isn’t the only one who’s spent the last several months trying desperately to ignore this.

“You – _that’s_ your objection?”

It sounds strangled, like Eren barely gets it out, and for a moment they stare at each other – and then Eren sucks in a deep breath and takes a step closer; and Levi can feel the way his heart is thudding in his chest, and Eren’s looking pleading, almost, and – Levi only realizes he’s kissed him when Eren goes still – pulls back to find Eren so wide-eyed it would be comical if not for how difficult it suddenly is for Levi’s knees to hold him up. Opens his mouth – needs to say something, to – but Eren’s pressing their mouths back together and scrabbling to hold onto Levi’s arms; and he doesn’t know how to kiss, but Levi doesn’t fucking care. He’ll teach him. Take care of him. Wants to lay him out on a bed and take his time. Do this properly. Wants to fuck him until Eren’s absolutely wrecked and doesn’t know anything but Levi’s name. Wants to – keep him safe. Realizes he’s been nudged up against the wall, and lets Eren keep him there. Only realizes how badly he’s panting when Eren finally pulls back, lips red and face flushed and eyes still wide, and – Levi’s stomach aches, and this is a horrible idea, Eren’s a fucking _teenager_ –

“Can I stay with y-you tonight?”

Eren’s voice sounds like it’s been put through a shredder, and he’s looking so earnest it hurts, and he sounds a bit like his world is depending on the answer to that question – and Levi closes his eyes. Takes a breath, and – there’s probably no point in fighting this, anymore. Nods, somehow, and opens his eyes just in time to see the smile that breaks across Eren’s face; and it makes Levi’s stomach swoop low and painful. Makes him grind his teeth together.

“Fine. But you get to tell your sister.”

“I’ll – right. Give m-me – ten minutes. I’ll be –”

Eren’s already stumbling back, looking like he’s trying to walk without taking his eyes off Levi, and – Levi nods and tries to unclench his teeth, his stomach dipping again when Eren turns and leaves the room so quickly it’s a miracle he doesn’t bang into anything, and – it’s quiet, suddenly. Quiet and dark and they’re in the middle of a war and Eren is too young and Levi is too old and Levi’s in over his head and he _shouldn’t be doing this_ , but – less than twenty-four hours ago, Eren had been locked in a coffin. Had been chained up like an animal and torn away from the people who love him; and maybe Levi’s a fool, but they could all die at any time – and if Eren wants him, then Levi is damn well going to curl up around him all night and cuddle the fuck out of him until Eren feels – at least for a little while – like nothing in the world can hurt him anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone fancies being tumblr buddies, I'm always happy to make new SNK friends. ♥ (http://twisting-vine-x.tumblr.com/) (Note that my blog will have spoilers for the manga, so if anyone wishes to be friends but avoid those, the tag to blacklist is 'aot manga spoilers').


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